A Culture of Growth & Opportunity Creates Lifelong Employees

A year or so ago I drove over to Venice for what I thought would be an informal discussion. Nevertheless, I wanted to dress for the occasion and wore a gray suit and a nice shirt. Tech startups may be more casual but I grossly underestimated how much I’d stick out. Undeterred, I bypassed security, signed the virtual NDA, and proceeded with my meeting. Thirty minutes later I found myself walking down the Venice boardwalk, sweat rolling down my back as I arched to keep it off the shirt I just had dry cleaned, with the crush of tourists, artists, street dancers, half naked beach goers, and sometimes even-less-clothed beach residents, and the company’s very young CEO, in just a t-shirt and jeans.

I explained to him what my role as Chief of Staff entails. He shared his vision of growth for the company (after turning down 10 figure offers) and that he was looking for a right hand to work with him for “30 to 40 years, like Warren Buffett’s assistant.” The irony of this kid idolizing Warren Buffett, an investor who would never touch a tech IPO much less fund one himself, as his model for management, didn’t go unnoticed. “But you need to build a team that’s close to you and your vision, ready to deploy to run new business units as the company expands. You need to offer your employees opportunities to grow and advance if you want to keep them around,” I argued. He looked puzzled and lamented, “I don’t know why people think that being an EA is not an important job, it’s really one of the most important roles.” To that I didn’t disagree.

The nature or importance of the job was not what we were discussing, I certainly understand the criticality of the role, whether you call it a CoS or not, but the attitude of expecting lifelong servitude is what really struck me. There is a strong element of narcissism that shapes the expectations of many successful entrepreneurs. It makes them think that anyone would sell their left hand for the opportunity to work with them, and often that the only opinion that matters is their own. These are the folks that need to learn this lesson the most: Good talent is as hard to find as it is to keep. Proximity to you, without clarity on what rewards, growth, and new opportunities they will enjoy is simply not going to be enough to entice them nor to avoid attrition.

So how does a leader, CEO, or any manager know when it’s time to let their employee spread their wings a little further? It starts from day one. Setting goals and establishing a career framework, prepares employees with an understanding of the milestones they need to achieve and the competencies or skills they need to demonstrate, possess or adopt to get to the next level. A good manager will provide ongoing feedback and celebrate their team’s achievements often. A great manager will constantly provide opportunities for growth, support educational goals, and help employees chart a course for the future they desire.

This growth is vital to any organization’s success. There comes a point in any position at any level where the work can become stagnant, where the tasks and “day-to-day” are so rote that the idea of growth or innovation is a fleeting thought of yesteryear while success is measured only in annual bonuses and fractional raises. I would argue that, at that point, the employee ceases to add incremental value to the company. They may fulfill their duties, they may even take on more, but when they are not inspired by the promise of growth, they return less and less.

I write this as I’m embarking on my own transition. I am onboarding a senior executive assistant to take over the remaining administrative parts of my role. I feel the growing pains and stiffness of joints as I begin to flap my wings. Our company hasn’t yet received a multi-billion dollar evaluation, we are no more revered nor despised in the eyes of the public, but I can say that, in the eyes of our employees, we have created a place where learning and growth is not a bonus, but a mandate. As a manager, leader, and member of our Talent committee I couldn’t be prouder of the work we do here, most importantly the work done in supporting and nurturing all our employees so they can see what life may look like for them here down the road. We have yet to celebrate more than a decade of business, but, if we are doing our jobs well, I hope that these same faces will be here in another twenty to thirty years, having grown into senior leadership and beyond.

Originally published on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/culture-growth-opportunity-creates-lifelong-employees-nichols/